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shadowkatI knew I was going to get in late last night so I took today off, slept in - and did a load of laundry. I've not been sleeping well of late. Decided to take another break from the news.
Television
I'm kind of half-watching the television series "SMASH" on Peacock- mainly to see how it varied from the musical I saw last night - because I couldn't remember it very well. Now that I am watching it? It's an unevenly written, mildly offensive, soap opera about the Broadway theater world, with musical numbers. And a odd obsession with Marilyn Monroe.
The Broadway Show kind of makes fun of it in places, and is a whole lot better. The Broadway Show points out why making a show about Marilyn Monroe doesn't quite work. Also, the Broadway Show doesn't fall into the tired trap of wrenching drama from pitting two women against each other, which the television series did.
I plan on also watching "Wicked" on Peacock this weekend. And making my way through old Buffy episodes. Weirdly? In the first season of Buffy, there are maybe four to five decent episodes. Witch, the Pack, Nightmares, and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Prophecy Girl has its moments, but the main vampire plot thread is silly and poorly written. But it does have some excellent bits here and there. There's this scene with Cordelia and Willow walking into the high school's break room ...
Cordelia: Oh how sweet, they are watching cartoons! No, no not sweet. Not cute. I should be mad.
Willow: you should.
Cordelia opens the door and her prom date, and boyfriend who she's fallen for - tumbles out of the room, dead. As is everyone else in the room. All positioned as if sleeping. A hand print of blood on the television screen over a cartoon of the three little pigs playing on it. Then the camera shifts to Willow's shell shocked face watching it.
That stands out. It's almost as if its in a different episode. This happens a lot with Buffy. You get these insanely brilliant cinematographic moments, in the middle of an otherwise campy television show. Then there's three scenes Gellar does - that remind me that she can actually act and is a skilled television actress. The first is when Xander asks her to not only be his "date" at the prom, but to be his girlfriend and as she attempts to refuse him graciously (keeping in mind that the audience knows that she knows Willow has a thing for him), he lashes out at her, the second is when she discovers that Giles and Angel both think she's going to die that night at the Master's hands, that's her destiny, and she goes through the range of emotions in a minute or two, and finally the scene with her mother and the dress.
By the way, the clothing that Buffy wears in S1 of that series is horrid. I think wardrobe only liked Cordelia? Every episode - I'm thinking, what in the hell is she wearing? Does wardrobe hate Buffy? Was 90s fashion truly this bad? I don't remember it being this bad? Xander has decent clothes - way too decent for a nerdy geek. (It's weird, his clothes go down hill after high school?) Also? Xander is supposed to be a scrawny nerdy guy who can't get a date - Brendan is muscular, 6 foot, 25, and dark headed. In Nightmares, we're supposed to laugh or think oh poor Xander, instead I'm thinking (as is Willow), damn, Xander, you've been lifting weights on the sly and you appear to have a better physique than Angel or Giles. WTF? Scrawny, he's not. (Weirdly his physique goes down hill after high school - instead of becoming more attractive post high school, he gains weight, and is puffy (Brendan is an alcoholic), when it's written to be the exact opposite.) This was the 1990s, and they tended to cast 20 year olds for teens (for various reasons) and pretty actors. It didn't play that he had issues getting dates to the prom. He was better looking and had more charisma than any of the other boys in the school.
**
Eh, going to bed, I think.
Maybe I'll get more done tomorrow.
Television
I'm kind of half-watching the television series "SMASH" on Peacock- mainly to see how it varied from the musical I saw last night - because I couldn't remember it very well. Now that I am watching it? It's an unevenly written, mildly offensive, soap opera about the Broadway theater world, with musical numbers. And a odd obsession with Marilyn Monroe.
The Broadway Show kind of makes fun of it in places, and is a whole lot better. The Broadway Show points out why making a show about Marilyn Monroe doesn't quite work. Also, the Broadway Show doesn't fall into the tired trap of wrenching drama from pitting two women against each other, which the television series did.
I plan on also watching "Wicked" on Peacock this weekend. And making my way through old Buffy episodes. Weirdly? In the first season of Buffy, there are maybe four to five decent episodes. Witch, the Pack, Nightmares, and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Prophecy Girl has its moments, but the main vampire plot thread is silly and poorly written. But it does have some excellent bits here and there. There's this scene with Cordelia and Willow walking into the high school's break room ...
Cordelia: Oh how sweet, they are watching cartoons! No, no not sweet. Not cute. I should be mad.
Willow: you should.
Cordelia opens the door and her prom date, and boyfriend who she's fallen for - tumbles out of the room, dead. As is everyone else in the room. All positioned as if sleeping. A hand print of blood on the television screen over a cartoon of the three little pigs playing on it. Then the camera shifts to Willow's shell shocked face watching it.
That stands out. It's almost as if its in a different episode. This happens a lot with Buffy. You get these insanely brilliant cinematographic moments, in the middle of an otherwise campy television show. Then there's three scenes Gellar does - that remind me that she can actually act and is a skilled television actress. The first is when Xander asks her to not only be his "date" at the prom, but to be his girlfriend and as she attempts to refuse him graciously (keeping in mind that the audience knows that she knows Willow has a thing for him), he lashes out at her, the second is when she discovers that Giles and Angel both think she's going to die that night at the Master's hands, that's her destiny, and she goes through the range of emotions in a minute or two, and finally the scene with her mother and the dress.
By the way, the clothing that Buffy wears in S1 of that series is horrid. I think wardrobe only liked Cordelia? Every episode - I'm thinking, what in the hell is she wearing? Does wardrobe hate Buffy? Was 90s fashion truly this bad? I don't remember it being this bad? Xander has decent clothes - way too decent for a nerdy geek. (It's weird, his clothes go down hill after high school?) Also? Xander is supposed to be a scrawny nerdy guy who can't get a date - Brendan is muscular, 6 foot, 25, and dark headed. In Nightmares, we're supposed to laugh or think oh poor Xander, instead I'm thinking (as is Willow), damn, Xander, you've been lifting weights on the sly and you appear to have a better physique than Angel or Giles. WTF? Scrawny, he's not. (Weirdly his physique goes down hill after high school - instead of becoming more attractive post high school, he gains weight, and is puffy (Brendan is an alcoholic), when it's written to be the exact opposite.) This was the 1990s, and they tended to cast 20 year olds for teens (for various reasons) and pretty actors. It didn't play that he had issues getting dates to the prom. He was better looking and had more charisma than any of the other boys in the school.
**
Eh, going to bed, I think.
Maybe I'll get more done tomorrow.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-22 01:12 pm (UTC)Have you watched Buffy recently? Also this is obviously subjective.